Apple is at the center of a class action suit involving iPhones from five years ago, and both Apple and Samsung struggle to get a win against each other around the world. Also, suddenly invalid patents might make Apple's $1 billion win against Samsung just a little less sexy. Cue your favorite dramatic theme music and lets get to another week of Law & Apple.

This week we look at how Apple and a Swedish photographer don't see eye to eye over a disputed image, how new developments in an ebooks antitrust case may bump up your iTunes account, and yet another move in the global chess match with Samsung. It's all fun and games until someone uses an eye!

The New York Times has been running a multipart-series challenging global tech companies, and often does so by focusing specifically on Apple, as if Cupertino is the only US tech company involved in controversial manufacturing issues. While consistently calling Apple out prominently on issues that clearly involve most smartphone and technology manufacturers might not be the fairest way to position these articles, the latest addition to the series focuses on one area where Apple has led the pack in less than savory tactics: patent lawsuits.

Samsung has finally stepped up to take a swing back at Apple, filing a lawsuit on Tuesday aimed at the iPhone 5. Meanwhile, a company you probably never heard of is claiming they had Passbook first, and Google is backing down from Cupertino for some mysterious reason. Is this a sign of peaceful times to come?

Losing a court case is never fun, and it is decidedly less fun when the loss results in having to write really big checks. Surely, a company that finds itself on the wrong side of a ruling has every right, and responsibility, to mitigate its losses, but do they have to be so nasty about it?

The ruling in the Apple v. Samsung case came down a few weeks ago, and yet fascinating bits continue to leak out. Apparently the Woz has very strong feelings about the case, Samsung was prepared to go extra-terrestrial to win over the jury, and Cupertino lawyers continue to leave no stone unturned in a global courtroom assault on seemingly anything that threatens the Apple brand -- no matter how trivial.

Last week, the technology world had to digest the news that Samsung was going to have to write a check to Apple for anywhere from $1 billion to $3 billion. While we considered that losing this mega trial may not be all bad news for Samsung, we also turned our eyes to the dozens of other patent trials between Apple and Android device manufacturers around the world.

Will Samsung strike back in court? What about Google? And what is Apple's next move, anyway?

In the aftermath of Apple's billion dollar courtroom win against Samsung last week, many people are wondering just what this means for the future of the smartphone. Some stores are already reporting a massive dropoff in Android device sales since the ruling. But is Apple really the winner in this case? Let's break it down.

Jury deliberations finally begin today in the super-trial between Apple and Samsung. True to form with the case, there was drama and surprises right up to the final statements.

Meanwhile, and just in time for a much hoped for iPhone 5 launch, Google's Motorola filed a new patent-infringement lawsuit against Apple with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in Washington.